Skip to content
fluentbyear

FRENCH VERB

se trouver

to be located

  • #270 most used
  • Regular -er verb
  • Past participle: trouvé
  • Present participle: se trouvant

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

  1. je I am located
  2. tu you are located
  3. il, elle, on he/she is located
  4. nous we are located
  5. vous you are located
  6. ils, elles they are located

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

  1. je I was located
  2. tu you were located
  3. il, elle, on he/she was located
  4. nous we were located
  5. vous you were located
  6. ils, elles they were located

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

  1. je I used to be located
  2. tu you used to be located
  3. il, elle, on he/she used to be located
  4. nous we used to be located
  5. vous you used to be located
  6. ils, elles they used to be located

Future

Futur simple · plans; in speech, “je vais parler” is just as common

  1. je I will be located
  2. tu you will be located
  3. il, elle, on he/she will be located
  4. nous we will be located
  5. vous you will be located
  6. ils, elles they will be located

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

  1. je I would be located
  2. tu you would be located
  3. il, elle, on he/she would be located
  4. nous we would be located
  5. vous you would be located
  6. ils, elles they would be located

Present subjunctive

Subjonctif présent · wishes, doubts, “il faut que …”

  1. je (that) I be located
  2. tu (that) you be located
  3. il, elle, on (that) he/she be located
  4. nous (that) we be located
  5. vous (that) you be located
  6. ils, elles (that) they be located

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

  1. tu be located!
  2. nous be located! (let’s)
  3. vous be located! (plural, or formal)

How to use se trouver

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    La pharmacie se trouve juste en face de l'église.

    The pharmacy is right opposite the church.

  2. Past

    Je me suis trouvé un petit appartement près du port.

    I found myself a little flat near the harbour.

  3. Imperfect

    L'hôtel se trouvait à deux pas de la plage.

    The hotel was a stone's throw from the beach.

  4. Future

    Le nouveau bureau se trouvera au troisième étage.

    The new office will be on the third floor.

  5. Conditional

    Vous vous trouveriez mieux dans la chambre du fond.

    You'd be more comfortable in the back room.

  6. Present subjunctive

    C'est bizarre que la clé se trouve dans le frigo.

    It's odd that the key is in the fridge.

  7. Imperative

    Trouve-toi une place, je reviens avec les cafés.

    Find yourself a seat, I'll be back with the coffees.

Good to know

  • Où se trouve la gare ? is where is the station? Il se trouve que is it so happens that.
  • Je me trouve nul means I think I'm useless; se trouver is also to find yourself something.

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: regular -er verb.